Crow’s feet, laugh lines, wrinkled skin – begone! Welcome to tight and toned skin. The catch? You must be open to trying a new and, perhaps, strange fruit called guava.
Most people from Asia and South America are very familiar with guava. But North Americans are only now starting to recognize the anti-aging goodness of this yummy fruit – and its leaves and flowers.
Guavas, particularly the immature ones, are bursting with astringents. Eating the fruit will help to tighten up your skin and washing your face with a decoction** of its young fruit and leaves will help to tone the skin.
Of course this luscious fruit has even more health-related qualities. It contains a hefty dose of vitamin C even more than the well-known orange. One guava contains 169 mg of vitamin C while an orange has 69 mg. You do the math.
Plus vitamins A and B and potassium are teeming within this tropical fruit. These anti-oxidants, par excellence, will help keep your skin radiant and glowing with health.
But perhaps your insides need a pick-me-up.
Constipated, hemorrhoids, lazy intestines – snack on a guava. This delicious fruit contains approximately 36% of the recommended daily intake of fibre and as we all know fibre is multi-talented: it fills you up, it helps to absorb nutrients from food, it aids digestion and it fires up a sluggish colon.
It doesn’t stop there. Guavas are pitted with tiny seeds which you end up munching on as well. Lucky you! These crunchy pips have a strong laxative power so be prepared for previously lethargic intestines to become a tad more energetic.
Surprisingly enough, guava also helps if you should run the other end of the spectrum. This alkaline fruit and particularly, a tea made from its leaves, inhibit the growth of bacteria and helps to curb diarrhea.
Where do you find this uber fruit? Look for them in Indian and South American grocery stores. More and more tropical fruit are finding their way into local grocery stores so spend some time perusing the aisles or talking to your local grocery store manager and requesting them.
Your smooth skin is worth the hunt.
**a decoction is made by boiling down the leaves and flowers in a pot of water
